Bo-Wow! The First Pets

Of all the promises Barack Obama made during the election campaign last yearfixing the economy,a national health insurance exchange,and the end of torture techniquesone was particularly daunting: finding a pet for his daughters. Last week,he finally kept his word and little Bo took the bowwith silken black hair that fell into his eyes. Bos illustrious predecessors in the White House include George Bushs dog Spotty,Clintons Lab Buddy and cat Socks,Kennedys pony Macaroni and William Tafts cow. But for now,Bo,the six-month-old Portuguese water dog,has competitionfrom pets of other world leaders.

Ramzan Kadyrov,the Chechen President and strongman,has a pet tiger,who he took in while it was ill and nursed back to health. Kadyrovwho wears track suits while visiting the Kremlin,favours polygamy and is a friend of boxer Mike Tysonwas quoted in the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda as telling his tiger to eat the newspapers correspondent,Alexander Gamov,as he writes incorrectly about me.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has a castrated cat,Dorofei Dorotheus,who came with Medvedevs wife Swetlana to live in the Kremlin. After a losing fight with their neighbour Mikhail Gorbachevs cat,Dorofei had to be on antibiotics for a month,after which the Medvedevs got the cat castrated.

Queen Elizabeth II is frequently photographed with her Corgis and shares notes with other Corgi owners. Her father,King George VI,brought the breed into the royal family in 1933. The Queen is also an expert equestrian.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has a black male cat for a pet. Jasper is one snooty feline. He wont let anyone but Rudd pat him and considers the study at The Lodge,the Prime Ministers residence,to be his personal lounge.